First Session Teenagers Guide » (1 ED)

NEIL G. RIBNER is associate professor and director of the Child Custody and Family Services Center at the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego. He also has a private practice specializing in family therapy and treating adolescents.Series EditorJeanne Heaton, author of Building Basic Therapeutic Skills, is a psychologist at Ohio University's Counseling and Psychology Services and is in private practice in Athens, Ohio.

The First Session with Teenagers is a practical, accessible guide that reveals how mental health care professionals can conduct a successful initial interview with reluctant and uncooperative adolescent clients. Written by Neil G. Ribner, a recognized expert in the field of family therapy and the treatment of teenagers, this important resource shows how to use the first therapeutic session to establish trust, engage the adolescent, and determine an effective plan of action that sets the tone for the entire course of treatment. In clear, jargon-free language, the author offers clinicians at all levels of expertise (from the novice to the seasoned professional) a step-by-step process for working with adolescents during the pivotal first session.

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Recognizing that the last thing even a healthy teenager wants to do is form an intimate therapeutic relationship with a health care professional, Ribner (California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego) suggests how mental health care professionals can conduct a successful initial interview with reluctant and uncooperative adolescent clients. He says his approaches can work in one-on-one, family, school, or criminal justice settings. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)